Learn To Think Like Your Clients

If you only get one thing from this post, take this with you. The secret to attracting and winning high-ticket web design clients is to offer them what THEY want NOT the individual skills you can provide. Learn to think like your clients.

When you make that change in your thinking it will impact every area of your business.

Pricing
It will change your pricing because you will start charging enough so you can afford to put the time into generating the impact they need. This lays the foundation of your 6-figure web design business.

Marketing
Your marketing will change to reflect how you can help rather than highlighting your technical skills.

Business Structure
The structure of your business will change because you won't have to spend time constantly hunting for clients, you will have consistent, reliable income, and you'll have a system in place that can sustain the revenue goals of running a 6-figure web design business.

Workflow
You will spend dramatically more time doing billable work that is fun and rewarding instead of grinding it out at meetups and on social media fighting for whatever low-budget projects you can find just to get you through the month.

Your Reputation
This might be the most important one of all. The way other people view you will change dramatically. You'll stop being seen as the “web mechanic” who people call to fix stuff when something breaks. Now you will become a sought after consultant who can transform a business. This gives you a new, solid foundation for your business that will serve you for the rest of your career.

Just Having Skills Is Not Enough

I talk to people all day long who have amazing skills and no clients. Simply being great at your job is not enough to run your own successful business.

Having said that, you don't have to run your own business. If all you want to do is build websites or write code and you're not interested in direct client interaction, marketing, and business development that's absolutely fine. But, to be successful you're going to have to partner up with someone who will focus on business development and finding clients for you. That could be a business partner, but most likely you'll want to get hired by an agency or work with a recruiter who can find work for you.

Know Your Audience

We're talking about two very different audiences. One audience is large agencies and recruiters.  The other audience is local business owners. If you want to attract agencies and recruiters then focus on highlighting your technical skills because that is what they are looking for. If you want to attract and win local businesses you have to train yourself to think like they think so you can offer them what they are looking for. This is a much harder process, but if you can do this you will set yourself apart dramatically from the competition. You will command much higher rates for your work. You will have a successful business because this is exactly what is needed in today's economy.

How To Set Yourself Apart

The wrong way to differentiate yourself is to stalk Facebook groups, blog, focus on SEO for your business, and write content… write content… Google loves content… create more content.

This was more successful in the past and now this is what everybody does. It doesn't work for two reasons. First, it doesn't set you apart because this is what everyone is doing. You're just going to be another person shouting in the echo chamber of old ideas. Second, you're not thinking like your client, your thinking like a web designer. That means you're attracting other web designers with your content NOT the business owners you're actually trying to reach.

If you don't believe this, just ask yourself right now, “Is my current strategy bearing fruit?”

The Shortest Path To Success

The right way to set yourself apart is also the most simple. Figure out how you can genuinely help someone. Then go and do it. It doesn't have to be this fancy, shiny presentation. Clients don't want shiny things. They want a return on their investment. They want results. Learn to think like your clients and couple that with what YOU know how to do. This is the shortest, most efficient path to success.

If you want to build a 6-figure web design business in less than a year, this is how you do it.

What Does This Look Like For You?

This is a brand new way of thinking for most WordPress consultants and web designers. We've spent so much time learning our skills and perfecting the technical aspects of our trade that it's hard to pull back and see the big picture from the client's perspective.

If this is approach to serving clients sounds like the direction you want to go and you want to get there as fast as possible with a pattern that has been proven to be effective and efficient then let's talk and see if DoubleStack is the right fit for you.

First, we pack your technical toolbox with the best digital marketing tools and platforms so you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to drive business results for your clients.

Second, we develope a new marketing message specifically for your business that resonates with the exact clients you know you can serve the best. This is one of the most powerful transformations you can make because by changing the way you talk about yourself you immediately change the types of people you attract.

Finally, you end up with a business structure that will enable you to hit your 6-figure income goals without having to hire subcontractors or employees and without constantly hunting for clients.

Your Next Step

So, if you're serious about building an amazing business for yourself by generating awesome results for your clients and you don't want to burn out or lose your integrity in the process, let's get on the phone.

During this free 45-minute call you'll get clarity on:

• How to transform past projects into long-term recurring revenue clients.
• What you need to change on your own website to start attracting the clients you really want to be working with at the prices you're actually worth.
• How you should be pricing your work so you can get away from project-based pricing and hourly billing and start getting into value-based pricing.

We'll cover all of that during our call. Then if you want to talk about working together to implement these things into your business we can talk about that. If not, that's totally fine too. Either way, you owe it to yourself and your clients to shift your thinking so that you're both on the same page. When you do that, everybody wins because you're doing your best work and your clients are getting the best results.

Schedule Your Call ➤

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There are some really big changes taking place right now in the web design world especially when it comes to pricing WordPress projects. There are two fundamentally different approaches to pricing. The reason I wanted to kick off the new year talking about pricing is because the price you charge for your work represents your mindset more than anything else. Your mindset – the big picture of what you're actually doing – is the most critical component to your business because it impacts everything you do. Your mindset not only dictates your pricing but it determines your marketing, how you introduce yourself to people, what you say on your website, how you show up for client meetings, the types of referrals you get… everything. Now, more so than ever before we have two drastically different approaches to pricing WordPress projects. One leads to everybody losing while the other leads to everybody winning.

Selling Websites vs. Serving Clients

Ultimately, the two different approaches for how to price WordPress projects comes down to whether you believe you are selling websites or whether you think you are serving your clients. It used to be the case that selling websites was the same thing as serving clients, but today there is a huge distinction between the two. And, yes, I believe they are mutually exclusive in a high-level sense. In other words, given the changes that have taken place and where things stand in 2020, simply selling websites is not serving clients.

If you feel like you disagree with this, hear me out because once we look at the mindset behind selling websites versus serving clients I think you'll see what I mean.

How To Sell Websites In 2020

I talk to thousands of WordPress developers and web designers every month. By far the most common question I get asked is how to find clients who are willing to pay higher prices. I really appreciate people who have the courage to ask that question because there are so many snarky people out there who are quick to say that you just need to improve your skills or just get out there and work hard. Of course, you need good skills and a tenacious work ethic but I get this question from people who have degrees in graphic design and have been honing their skills for years. They are talented professionals and they still are having a hard time finding clients at the prices they want to charge.

The reason for this has almost nothing to do with their skills. The problem is that the economy has changed. Today it's easy, fast and very inexpensive to get a website. You can download WordPress for free. Then use a page builder like Elementor or BeaverBuilder along with Astra Sites and within a day you can have a great looking site without ever dealing with code. Or, if WordPress isn't your thing then use Wix or Squarespace. If you're not into building your own website that's fine too. If you've got a budget of around $500 you can find plenty of people on Upwork, Fiverr, or even Craigslist who will spin up a surprisingly decent WordPress site for you.

So, if you're out there trying to “sell websites” but you're charging $5,000 while all these other options are only $500 or less then you're going to have a hard time selling your websites. This is why your mindset makes all the difference! What are you really doing? Are you really just trying to sell websites? Because if you are, then you're going to need to set your prices under $1,000. Otherwise, you're going to start hearing your clients say things like:

• Why does it cost so much?
• Why are you so much more expensive than everyone else?
• That price is way outside our budget!
• I can't afford that!

The bottom line is this. If your ultimate goal is to “sell websites” then charge about $500.

The Difference Between Selling and Serving

Before we go any farther, let me clarify how I am defining selling and serving.

Selling means you have one or more skills to offer and you're essentially setting up a buffet for your services. You want people to come and pick one or more of the things you can do and then hire you. Then you show up doing the best you can to make sure the client is happy with your work. I want to underscore that there is nothing immoral or wrong with selling your services. The point to understand, however, is that the burden of success for the project as a whole is entirely on the shoulders of the client and whether or not they can ask you for what they actually need and whether or not they can generate success for their business with what you deliver.

Serving means you lead your clients to a level of measurable business success that they would not be able to achieve apart from you. Simply giving them a beautiful website is not enough because the website itself is not the end goal. Getting a website is never the client's end goal. Therefore, delivering a website is not a measure of success. If you're not delivering success then you're not serving the client. Serving the client means helping them reach their business objectives.

A Real-World Example Of Selling vs. Serving

Let's demonstrate the difference both in terms of value and in results with a real-world example but in a different context, rock climbing.

It's a cool spring day and you're walking through the mountains with a friend. You're not a rock climber. You're just out walking the trail enjoying nature and having a good time. You have spent the afternoon having a picnic in a small clearing near the top where you feel like you can look across the entire earth. It was a beautiful afternoon and now you and your friend are walking back down the trail returning to your car to head home.

Suddenly you hear a rumbling sound behind you. You and your friend both look back and to your horror you see several large boulders rolling down the trail and there's nowhere to go to get out of the way. To your left there is a steep face to the mountain and your friend is already trying to climb up and out of the way. To the right is an almost vertical drop off. You have no choice. The boulders are about to crush you so you start sliding down the cliff. Miraculously, about 20 feet down the cliff your backpack snags on the root of a tree and stops your fall.

You're OK but you're 20 feet down the side of the mountain, night if falling and you have no way to get back up to the trial. Your friend was able to run up the side of the mountain high enough to get out of the way and is safe. The dust settles. You look up and your eyes meet. You're both OK but you are stuck 20 feet down an almost vertical drop off and it is getting dark.

What do you really want right now? Let's consider two scenarios. In one scenario your friend says, “Hey! I've got a rope! I can throw it down to you if you want it.”

Or, what if your friend said, “I've got a plan! I'm going to take this rope, and tie one end to the trunk of this tree. Then I'm going to run the rope through a pulley that I'm attaching to a sling. I'll lower the sling down to you. When you get it, wrap the sling behind your back and under both of your arms. When you're secure in the sling I'll pull you up.”

Which option would you choose? Obviously option two, right? Which option would you pay the most for? How much more would you pay?

Both scenarios feature a rope as the primary tool used in the rescue. But, in the first scenario, it's all on you to figure out what to do with the rope. Even if it was the best rope in the whole world, what are YOU going to do with it? You don't know how to tie any mountain climbing knots. Furthermore, you really need more than just the rope. You need the tree, the pulley, the sling, and your friend. For your rescue to be safe and successful, you need someone with experience using the tools. For example, by adding the pulley into the mix your friend only has to pull 50% of your weight up the cliff. If you didn't know how pulleys work and that you need to attach the pulley to yourself (not the tree), you'd be stuck trying to lift 100% of your weight.

The first scenario is just selling ropes (or websites). The second scenario is serving the client. Nobody just wants the rope. They want the results that come from using the rope effectively and that involves more than just the rope. It includes additional tools, knowledge, and experience.

Why Selling Websites Is NOT Serving Clients

The rock climbing analogy illustrates very clearly why selling websites is not serving clients. Yes, you're giving the client a tool that is critical to their success. Perhaps it is even the most important component.  But it's not ALL they need to reach their real objective of winning more clients or generating more sales. They need the full plan, some additional tools, and they need YOU.

Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. Today, with all the tools, plugins, and platforms available for digital marketing building a successful online presence involves far more than just building a website. Of course, there are all the technical boxes that need to be checked like making sure the site is running over SSL, you have a good mobile experience, off-site backups, fast loading servers, etc. But you also need the marketing and business development component as well. Where are the leads going to come from? How are you going to nurture those leads until they become customers? How do you keep customers coming back? If those questions aren't getting answered then you are not actually serving the client.

How To Price WordPress Projects In 2020

The key to building a successful web design business in 2020 is to stop “selling websites” and price your projects in a way that enables you to serve your clients. That means you're going to have to charge a LOT more than if you were just slapping together a quick 5-page website because you're offering a fundamentally different service that includes three major components:

1. Your technical and design skills
2. Your digital marketing skills
3. Your business development consulting

If you're a self-employed WordPress consultant running your own web design business, I usually recommend that you price your projects between $3,000 and $10,000 so that you have the time to do all of the work necessary to develop and execute an effective plan. This is an affordable price for small to medium-sized local businesses. As your skills grow you begin to feel more confident will start winning projects over $10,000.

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Give yourself a moment to think. If you want to hit your goals you need clarity about what you're trying to achieve.

What your life would be like if you owned your own web design business that generated $100,000 per year?

What would it feel like if you were making $8,000 to $10,000 per month working from home with clients you loved, doing inspiring work that made a powerful impact?

What impact would that have on your family relationships?

What would you be able to do that you've been putting off?

How long can you keep putting that off before it's too late?

Have you always wanted to take your family on vacation somewhere? How long do you have to make that happen before your children are too old?

What are you missing out on because you're spending too much time working for way too little?

When you're ready to take action an make these goals your reality, here is a proven pattern for building a web business that generates $100,000+ per year – and you can do it on your own. The video above explains all of this in more detail, but below you'll find the highlights.

Do you have any of these roadblocks in your way that are either slowing down your progress or preventing you from being successful altogether?

Read more

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Today, with so many different ways to get a WordPress website, the cost for a WordPress project is all over the board. If someone is looking for a WordPress site they can go on Upwork, Fiverr, or even Craigslist to find people willing to spin up a WordPress site for $500 – or even less in some cases. There are also people web designers who work with WordPress and try to find clients to work with in their local communities. They get referrals, meet people in Chamber of Commerce meetings, through BNI, etc. These projects tend to be a bit more valuable than competing with the entire earth through job boards like Upwork. But let's see if we can narrow this down to figure out exactly how much WordPress professionals make in the United States.

Read more

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Should you publish your prices on your website?
If so, how do should you do it?
Should you give fixed prices, hourly prices, bundled package prices, price ranges…?

These are questions that come up all the time. But, rather than giving a one-size-fits-all answer, let me ask you five questions that will help you figure out what's best for you and your business.

You're going to come away with some important discoveries about:

• How your pricing differentiates you in the mind of your clients
• What your prices say about the nature of your business
• How posting your prices impacts the types of leads you generate

I'm really excited about this one because making a decision on pricing also means you're making a decision on the type of business you are building, what that means for your clients and what it means for the future of your business.

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When I first spoke to Jeff, he only had one client who paid $800 for their website. He didn't feel like he could justify charging higher prices because he saw what people on Upwork and Fiverr were charging and he felt like he was competing with that.

So, Jeff and I started talking about how he could differentiate himself from all of the low-budget competition while also making it clear why he's worth high-ticket rates. Within just a few weeks Jeff was landing new clients. Now he's got multiple clients paying him over $10,000 each.

I was in total despair and totally overwhelmed before we crossed paths and not really knowing how I was going to get from point A to point B. Now I'm definitely on the right trajectory and going the direction I want to be going.

When I landed my first five-figure client I didn't believe it at first. I was jumping up and down and so excited to go and tell my wife about it.

Jeff Maughan

Join me and discover how Jeff made this awesome transformation so fast. Let's also celebrate his induction into the DoubleStack Five Figure Family together as I award him with his trophy! This is going to be a great story and a lot of fun.

The secret to moving into high-ticket web design and WordPress consulting is discovering the difference between implementation and transformation. Once you make that shift, all of the traditional problems that plague most web designers' businesses will vanish.

For example, once you make this shift you will:

• Solve the “feast or famine” roller coaster of cash flow
• Know how to communicate with clients without overwhelming them with tech talk
• Command dramatically higher rates without pricing yourself out of the market
• Rise above all the low-budget competition
• Confidently win long-term, high-value clients even if they already have a website

The key, however, is understanding that a one-size-fits-all solution will never command high-ticket rates. If that's all the client is looking for, they can get that anywhere like from Upwork or Fiverr. Or, if they just need a quick website they can whip one up themselves on Wix or something.

In this workshop, you will discover why you need to stop approaching your clients with the “here's what I can do for you” mindset and exactly what you should be saying instead.

If you feel like you have a strong skill set but it's hard to find clients who are willing to hire you for the rates you want to be charging, this is for you.

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Here are five questions to ask yourself before you jump into blogging – for yourself or for your clients.

Everyone is talking about the benefits of organic SEO and how it drives free leads forever once you get listed on Google for the keywords you're targeting. But is that always true for everybody? Is blogging right for your business and the audience you are trying to reach or will it be a fruitless waste of time?

The answer to this question is NOT a one-size-fits-all type of thing. So, right now let's explore five things to consider before you invest time into blogging for your business (or for your clients' businesses).

At the end of this session you'll have clarity on at least three critical points for attracting leads through your blog:

• Is blogging is right for your type of business?
• If so, what you should be blogging about to make sure you're attracting the right, high-quality leads?
• Are you accidentally devaluing and commoditizing yourself with your blog?

If you have been thinking about blogging for your web design business or for one of your clients, this is 30-minutes you don't want to miss because it can literally save you months of time, gobs of heartache, and thousands of dollars of misguided effort.

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